The cornelian snuff-box was gone.
It was the outspoken Miss Lucian who finally voiced the thought that had been in both their minds from the beginning.
“Little Cecil was so much taken with it—you don’t think he could have kept it, do you?”
“Surely not. If he’s got it, poor little chap, it must be by mistake.”
“He’d be welcome to anything else, but not to great-grandpapa’s snuff-box,” said Miss Lucian with decision.
“Certainly not. But he’ll probably be brought in tears to-morrow to apologize for taking it away with him.”
“I ought to have put it away at the time,” said Miss Lucian remorsefully. “It was all my fault.”
“Whatever happens, Henrietta, don’t let him be frightened of us and think we’re going to despise him, even if he took it out of naughtiness pure and simple.”
“Do you take me for a fool?” said his sister indignantly.
The doctor was so far from taking her for anything of the sort, that he was inclined to accept the view which she obviously held, that Cecil had purposely, in a fit of baby covetousness, taken the little cornelian box.